This invention relates generally to dolls and other toy figures and particularly to apparatus for providing alternative facial expressions and in particular, eye features.
Perhaps one of the oldest if not the oldest types of toys known in the art is found in toys generally described as dolls or toy figures often referred to collectively as dolls. From earliest recorded times, history has shown that children in virtually all cultures and geographic locations have at some point utilized some type of figure fashioned generally to resemble a human or animal. Dolls have varied from early simple often-crude fabrications to modern high technology multi-function dolls capable of providing a very life-like activity. Not surprisingly, the long term and continuous popularity of dolls has prompted practitioners in the art to develop a virtually endless variety of dolls. Thus, dolls have been provided which replicate virtually any activity indulged in by humans or human infants, For example, dolls have been provided which included mechanical apparatus enabling the doll to walk, crawl, talk or otherwise move. Still other dolls have been directed to lifestyle functions and have been provided with apparatus enabling the doll to indulge in activities such as crying, go potty, drinking and eating. Still other dolls have been provided which include apparatus directed toward altering or enabling features related to facial expression or appearance. One facial feature, which has often received substantial attention from practitioner in the toy arts, has been directed toward providing various types of eye features in dolls. As a result, a great number of dolls have been provided which enjoy the common feature of having changeable or interchangeable eyes and eye expression. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,821,243 issued to Springer sets forth a FACIAL CHANGE DEVICE FOR DOLLS having a substantially hollow doll head which defines mouth and eye apertures. Within the doll head cavity, apparatus is provided for supporting a plurality of mouth images in alignment with the mouth aperture and a plurality of eye images in alignment with the eye apertures. A ratchet mechanism is operative to change the mouth and eye images appearing through the apertures in response to position or attitude of the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,475,508 issued to Mandell sets forth a DOLLS HEAD having a hollow head defining a pair of eye apertures. A pair of generally spherical elements are rotatably supported in alignment with the eye apertures. A movement mechanism supported within the doll head is operative in response to a pendulum weight to bring different eye images defined on the spherical elements into alignment with the eye apertures and thereby produce changing eye images or expression.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,670,568 issued to Walss sets forth EYE MOVEMENT FOR DOLLS AND THE LIKE having a hollow doll head defining eye apertures therein. A pair of spherical elements are rotatably supported within the doll head and define a plurality of eye images which are selectively aligned with the apertures to change expression of the dolls eyes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,954,639 and 2,938,302 both issued to Walss set forth a doll structure having a pair of rotatable eye image baring elements within the doll head. The doll further includes a displaceable portion within the doll torso, which is coupled to an operative mechanism for moving the eye image elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,723 issued to Winters sets forth COLOR CHANGEABLE EYES DEVICE FOR MANIKIN HEADS having a pair of eye apertures behind which a corresponding pair of spherical elements each supporting a plurality of eye images is supported within the doll or manikin head. The support apparatus for the eye image elements is coupled to a plurality of gears terminating in a larger diameter gear having a portion extending outwardly through a slot formed in the back of the doll or manikin""s head. The exposed portion of the large diameter gear provides a thumb wheel for changing the eye images aligned with the eye apertures.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,496,406; 2,208,219 and 2,669,802 set forth additional apparatus similar to the above-described prior art devices directed toward changing the dolls eyes viewed through apertures in the dolls head.
The foregoing described prior art devices are merely illustrative of a great number of doll structures which have been provided and which have been directed toward obtaining changeable facial features and changeable eyes in dolls or manikins. Despite the substantial number of doll structures provided, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, interesting and amusing dolls and toy figures.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved doll. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved doll having changeable eyes and alternative facial appearance. It is a still more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved doll in which the feature of changeable eyes and alternative facial appearance are provided in a cooperating manner to produce a substantial improvement in doll amusement value.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a doll head comprising: a head housing defining an interior cavity, a pair of doll eye apertures and a pair of ear portions; an eye change mechanism supported within the interior cavity having a plurality of eye images and means for aligning a selected pair of the doll eye images with the eye apertures; and a facial mask having a facial portion, a pair of ear elements and a pair of mask eye apertures, the facial mask being removably securable to the doll head by engagement of the ear elements with the ear portions such that the mask eye apertures generally align with the doll eye apertures.